Eye of Horus Meaning — Symbolism, Origins & Significance
Quick answer
The Eye of Horus (wedjat) is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, healing, restoration, and royal power — a stylised falcon-marked human eye. From the myth of Horus's eye being injured and then restored, it represents wholeness made whole again, protection against harm, and good health.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ancient Egypt; the myth of Horus & Set; one of the great protective amulets |
| Primary meaning | Protection, healing, restoration & wholeness; royal power; good health |
| Also called | The wedjat (or udjat) — 'the sound/whole one' |
| Common tattoo placement | Forearm, back of neck, chest, wrist, hand (horizontal eye form) |
| Related symbols | Ankh, scarab, the falcon of Horus, the evil eye |
The Eye of Horus (the wedjat or udjat) is one of the most powerful and recognisable symbols from ancient Egypt — a stylised human eye, marked with the distinctive lines and curl of the falcon's eye, representing protection, healing, restoration, royal power, and good health. One of the most important protective symbols in all of Egyptian belief, worn as an amulet by the living and the dead alike, the Eye of Horus was a symbol of wholeness restored, of protection against harm, and of the power and presence of the gods. This page presents it with respect for its origins in ancient Egyptian religion.
What gives the Eye of Horus its meaning is the myth behind it and its protective power: in Egyptian myth, the god Horus — the falcon-headed sky-god, son of Osiris and Isis — lost his eye (or had it injured or torn apart) in his great struggle with his uncle Set (who had murdered Horus's father Osiris) to avenge his father and claim the throne; the eye was then healed and restored (by the god Thoth, or Hathor), made whole again. This restoration made the Eye of Horus a symbol of healing, wholeness, restoration, and the making-whole of what was broken or injured, as well as of protection, royal power, sacrifice, and the triumph of order over chaos. The eye, made whole, became the great protective and healing amulet. This page explores the Eye of Horus's meaning, the myth of Horus and Set, its use as a protective and healing amulet, its relationship to the Eye of Ra, and its significance as a symbol — including as a tattoo.
What the Eye of Horus Represents
The Eye of Horus's central meaning is protection, healing, and restoration. As one of the most important protective symbols of ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus was worn and used to protect against harm, evil, and danger, to bring healing and good health, and to restore wholeness — making it a symbol of protection, healing, restoration, wholeness, well-being, and good health. The eye watches over and guards, heals and restores, and makes whole what is broken. It is, above all, the great Egyptian symbol of protection and healing.
The meaning of healing, restoration, and wholeness comes directly from the myth of Horus's eye. In the great Egyptian myth, Horus — the falcon sky-god, son of the murdered Osiris and of Isis — fought his uncle Set (who had killed Osiris and usurped the throne) to avenge his father and claim his rightful kingship; in the course of this struggle, Horus's eye was injured, torn out, or torn apart (and the moon, with which the eye was associated, was thus diminished). The eye was then healed and restored — made whole again, the pieces gathered and reassembled, the eye made 'sound' (the word wedjat means 'the sound one' or 'the whole one') — by the wisdom god Thoth (or by the goddess Hathor). This healing and restoration of the injured eye to wholeness made the Eye of Horus the great symbol of healing, restoration, the making-whole of what is broken or injured, recovery, and the restoration of health, soundness, and wholeness. The eye that was wounded and made whole became the emblem of healing and restoration.
The Eye of Horus is strongly associated with royal power and the legitimacy of the king, and with sacrifice and the offering. Horus's struggle to avenge his father and claim the throne, and the restoration of his eye, are bound up with the legitimacy of kingship (the pharaoh was the living Horus), and the offering of the eye (Horus offered his restored eye to his father Osiris) made the eye associated with offerings, sacrifice, and the gifts made to the gods and the dead.
The Eye of Horus is associated with the moon (the Eye of Horus, the left eye, was associated with the moon — its injury and restoration linked to the phases and the diminishing and renewal of the moon — while the right eye, the Eye of Ra, was associated with the sun), and with wholeness, soundness, and completeness (the wedjat, the 'sound eye'). The distinctive markings of the eye (the lines and the curling 'tail' below it) are those of the falcon (Horus's animal) and were also, in a famous use, employed as a system of fractions in Egyptian mathematics and in measuring out portions (the parts of the eye representing fractions that, in the myth, the restored eye made whole).
Underlying all of these is the Eye of Horus's quality as the great ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, healing, and restoration — protection against harm, healing and good health, the making-whole of what is broken (from the myth of the injured and restored eye), royal power and legitimacy, sacrifice and offering, and wholeness and soundness — making it one of the most powerful, important, and recognised of all ancient Egyptian symbols, and a beloved symbol of protection and healing to this day.
Historical Origins
The Eye of Horus has its origins in the religion and mythology of ancient Egypt, where it was one of the most important and widely used protective symbols for thousands of years, rooted in the central Egyptian myth of Horus, Osiris, Set, and the struggle for the throne. The symbol and its meanings are deeply embedded in Egyptian belief about the gods, kingship, protection, healing, and the afterlife.
The Eye of Horus arises from the great myth cycle of Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Set — one of the central myths of Egyptian religion. According to the myth, Osiris, the good king and god, was murdered by his jealous brother Set, who usurped the throne; Osiris's wife and sister Isis gathered and revived Osiris enough to conceive their son Horus, and Osiris became the lord of the dead and the afterlife. Horus, the falcon sky-god, grew up to avenge his father and reclaim his rightful kingship from Set, and the two gods fought a long and violent struggle. In the course of this struggle, Horus's eye was injured, gouged out, or torn into pieces by Set (and Set's testicles or strength were damaged in turn). Horus's eye was then healed and restored to wholeness — the pieces gathered and reassembled, the eye made 'sound' and whole again — by the god Thoth (the god of wisdom, writing, and magic) or by the goddess Hathor. Horus, victorious, claimed the throne, and in some versions offered his restored eye to his dead father Osiris, an offering that revived or sustained Osiris. The restored, whole eye — the wedjat ('the sound/whole one') — became a powerful symbol.
From this myth, the Eye of Horus became one of the most important protective and healing symbols in Egyptian belief. As a symbol of healing, restoration, and wholeness (the injured eye made whole), and of protection (the watchful, powerful eye of the god), the wedjat was used everywhere as a protective amulet: worn by the living for protection and good health, placed on the dead and in tombs and on coffins and mummies (often over the incision made in mummification, to magically heal and protect the body) to protect the deceased and ensure their wholeness and well-being in the afterlife, painted on objects, ships, and buildings for protection, and used in countless amulets, jewellery, and decoration throughout Egyptian history. The Eye of Horus was associated with the moon, with the king and kingship (the pharaoh as the living Horus), with offerings and sacrifice, and with wholeness and soundness. The distinctive markings of the eye were also used as a system of fractions (the 'Horus-eye fractions') in Egyptian mathematics and measurement.
The Eye of Horus is closely related to, and sometimes confused with, the Eye of Ra: in Egyptian thought, the right eye was associated with Ra and the sun (the Eye of Ra, a fierce and powerful aspect of the sun god, associated with protection but also with destructive power and the goddesses who acted as Ra's eye), while the left eye was the Eye of Horus, associated with the moon and with healing and restoration; the two eyes were sometimes seen as the sun and moon, the two eyes of the sky-god. (The two are related and overlapping but distinct in emphasis — Horus's eye for healing and protection, Ra's eye for the sun and fierce power.) From its origins in the myth of Horus and Set and its use as the great protective and healing amulet of ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus entered the modern imagination as one of the most powerful and recognised symbols of ancient Egypt — a symbol of protection, healing, and restoration — and remains hugely popular in modern design, jewellery, and tattooing, and is sometimes adopted in modern esoteric and Kemetic spirituality.
Cultural Variations
Ancient Egyptian (myth & protection)
In ancient Egypt the Eye of Horus (wedjat) was one of the most important and powerful protective and healing symbols, rooted in the central myth of Horus and Set and used everywhere to protect, heal, and make whole. The symbol's meaning comes from the great myth cycle of Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Set: after Set murdered Osiris and usurped the throne, Horus (the falcon sky-god, son of Osiris and Isis) fought Set to avenge his father and claim his rightful kingship, and in the struggle Horus's eye was injured, torn out, or torn into pieces by Set. The eye was then healed and restored to wholeness — the pieces gathered and reassembled, the eye made 'sound' (wedjat means 'the sound/whole one') — by the god Thoth (or the goddess Hathor). This restoration of the injured eye to wholeness gave the Eye of Horus its core meanings of healing, restoration, the making-whole of what is broken or injured, recovery, soundness, and wholeness, as well as of protection (the watchful, powerful eye of the god) and the triumph of order (Horus) over chaos (Set). Because of these meanings, the wedjat was used everywhere in Egypt as a protective and healing amulet: worn by the living for protection, good health, and well-being; placed on the dead, on coffins and mummies, and in tombs to protect the deceased and ensure their wholeness and well-being in the afterlife (the eye was often placed over the embalming incision on the mummy, to magically heal and protect the body); painted on objects, boats, and buildings for protection; and used in countless amulets, jewellery, and decoration throughout Egyptian history. The Eye of Horus was also associated with royal power and the legitimacy of the king (the pharaoh as the living Horus), with offerings and sacrifice (Horus offered his restored eye to Osiris), and with the moon (the left eye, associated with the moon, its injury and restoration linked to the moon's diminishing and renewal). The ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus thus carries the core meanings of protection, healing, restoration, and wholeness (from the myth of the injured and restored eye), as well as royal power, offering, and the triumph of order over chaos — the great protective and healing amulet of ancient Egypt, worn by the living and the dead and used everywhere to protect, heal, and make whole, one of the most important and powerful of all Egyptian symbols.
The Eye of Ra (related & contrasted)
The Eye of Horus is closely related to, and often confused with, the Eye of Ra — and understanding the relationship and distinction between them illuminates both symbols and Egyptian eye-symbolism. In Egyptian thought, the two great eyes were associated with the moon and the sun and with the two eyes of the sky: the left eye was the Eye of Horus (associated with the moon, and with healing, protection, restoration, and wholeness, as described above), while the right eye was the Eye of Ra (associated with the sun, and with the fierce, powerful, and protective — but also destructive — aspect of the sun god Ra). The Eye of Ra is a powerful and somewhat fearsome symbol: it represents the burning, fierce power of the sun, and it is associated with the goddesses who acted as the 'Eye of Ra' — fierce, protective, and dangerous goddesses such as Sekhmet (the lioness-goddess of destructive solar power), Hathor, Bastet, Wadjet, and others, who served as the eye and the instrument of Ra's power, protecting the sun god and destroying his enemies, but also capable of terrifying destruction (in one myth, the Eye of Ra, as the goddess, nearly destroys humanity in a bloodlust before being pacified). The Eye of Ra thus represents the fierce, protective, and destructive power of the sun, the protective and dangerous power of the goddesses who are Ra's eye, and the sun's might. While the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra are related and overlapping (both are protective eye-symbols, both are eyes of the sky-gods, and the imagery can be similar or shared), they differ in emphasis: the Eye of Horus emphasises healing, restoration, wholeness, and protection (the moon, the gentle and healing), while the Eye of Ra emphasises the fierce, powerful, and protective-but-destructive aspect of the sun and the solar goddesses. (The two are sometimes conflated, and the same wedjat image can be used for both, but the distinction in emphasis is real.) The Eye of Ra dimension thus carries the meanings of the fierce, protective, and destructive power of the sun, the power of the solar goddesses who are Ra's eye, and the might and protection (and danger) of the sun god — the complementary and contrasting solar eye to the lunar, healing Eye of Horus, the two together forming the eyes of the sky and the sun and moon, and illuminating the rich Egyptian symbolism of the protective and powerful divine eye.
Modern & Kemetic
In the modern era the Eye of Horus has become one of the most recognised and popular symbols of ancient Egypt, embraced worldwide as a symbol of protection, healing, and ancient wisdom, and adopted in modern esoteric, New Age, and Kemetic (contemporary Egyptian-revival) spirituality, as well as in popular design and culture. As one of the most striking and recognisable symbols of ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus is widely used in modern times to represent protection, healing, good health, and the wisdom and mystique of ancient Egypt, appearing in jewellery, art, design, fashion, and decoration around the world. It is especially popular as a protective symbol — worn for protection, good health, and well-being, drawing on its ancient meaning as the great protective and healing amulet — and as an emblem of ancient Egyptian wisdom, mystery, and spirituality. In modern esoteric and New Age thought, the Eye of Horus is embraced as a symbol of protection, healing, spiritual insight, intuition, and the 'inner eye' or third eye of spiritual perception and awakening (the eye associated with seeing, insight, and higher awareness), and it is used in spiritual practice, meditation, and energy work. In Kemetic spirituality (contemporary religious movements that revive and draw on ancient Egyptian religion), the Eye of Horus is an important and meaningful symbol, used in connection with the worship of the Egyptian gods, with protection and healing, and with the ancient Egyptian spiritual tradition. The Eye of Horus is also embraced, within African and African-diaspora contexts, as a symbol of African heritage, ancient African civilisation and wisdom, and Kemetic spirituality, alongside other Egyptian symbols like the ankh. (The Eye of Horus is also sometimes confused or conflated in popular culture with the 'Eye of Providence' — the eye in the triangle, the 'all-seeing eye' associated with Freemasonry and seen on the US dollar bill — but these are distinct symbols with different origins.) The modern and Kemetic Eye of Horus thus carries the meanings of protection, healing, and good health (its ancient core), ancient Egyptian wisdom, mystery, and spirituality, spiritual insight, intuition, and the inner eye (in esoteric thought), Kemetic spiritual practice and the revival of Egyptian religion, and African heritage and ancient wisdom — a beloved and widely recognised modern symbol of protection, healing, and the wisdom of ancient Egypt, embraced in spirituality, heritage, and design around the world.
The Eye of Horus as a Tattoo
The Eye of Horus is a very popular tattoo, chosen for its striking, distinctive appearance and its powerful meanings of protection, healing, and ancient Egyptian wisdom. People choose Eye of Horus tattoos to represent protection (a permanent protective symbol, warding off harm and evil), healing, restoration, and good health (the eye that was made whole), spiritual insight, intuition, and the inner eye, a connection to ancient Egypt, its wisdom, and its mystique, African heritage and Kemetic spirituality, or the making-whole of what was broken (recovery, healing, restoration after a difficult time). It is a powerful, protective, and meaningful symbol with a strong visual presence.
Read the full Eye of Horus tattoo guide →Related Symbols
Eye of Horus — FAQ
- What does the Eye of Horus symbolise?
- Protection, healing, restoration, and royal power — an ancient Egyptian symbol (the wedjat), a stylised falcon-marked eye. From the myth of Horus's eye being injured and then restored, it represents wholeness made whole again, protection against harm, and good health.
- What is the myth of the Eye of Horus?
- Horus, the falcon sky-god, fought his uncle Set (who had murdered Horus's father Osiris) to avenge his father and claim the throne. In the struggle Horus's eye was injured or torn apart, then healed and made whole again by Thoth — making the eye a symbol of healing and restoration.
- What's the difference between the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra?
- They're related but differ in emphasis: the Eye of Horus (the left eye, the moon) is associated with healing, restoration, and protection; the Eye of Ra (the right eye, the sun) is associated with the fierce, powerful, and destructive aspect of the sun and the solar goddesses.
- Why was the Eye of Horus used as an amulet?
- As a symbol of protection, healing, and wholeness, the wedjat was worn by the living for protection and health and placed on the dead, coffins, and mummies (often over the embalming incision) to protect the deceased and ensure their wholeness in the afterlife.
- What does an Eye of Horus tattoo mean?
- Usually protection (a protective ward against harm), healing and restoration (the eye made whole), spiritual insight and the inner eye, or a connection to ancient Egypt and its wisdom. It's a powerful, striking protective symbol, often combined with other Egyptian motifs.